G 9

Hagiographical

Late 15th cent. Vellum. [iv]+ff. 18. 20 X 14 cms.

The foliation is modern. There is no subscription but the hand is that of Uilliam Mac an Legha. For a list of other manuscripts in Mac an Legha's hand see Flower's introduction to Add. 30512 in BM ii 470 and for an account of his work as a translator from English sources see Quin, Stair Ercuil, ITS xxxviii. Fr. Paul Walsh (Catholic Bulletin 25 ii 647) holds that Maelechlainn mac Illainn (scribe of part of Paris Celt. MS. I and King's Inns 15) was not the son of Uilliam, as stated by Flower. In BM Add. 11809, f. 33v inf. marg., however, a section apparently in Uilliam's hand has the colophon `Finit do phaiss Crist cummruigi s[i] o Illam sin' (not noted in BM ii 545). The question may be regarded as still unsettled.

On f. 16rb 23-27 of this manuscript there appears to be a change of hand, a second scribe inserting what, apparently, had been omitted in Mac an Legha's exemplar. The more recent hand which supplied titles to the texts on ff. 3va, 3vb, 4rb, 5rb is probably that of James McQuige and the marginal writing on ff. 6rb, 18vb is undoubtedly McQuige's. When the manuscript was in possession of Dr. Adam Clarke (1762-1832) McQuige made a transcript with English translation of its content for Clarke, which now forms the major part of G 36. For a list of his transcripts and other information regarding McQuige see the introductory remarks to G 36 (Cat. Ir. Mss. in NLI, Fasc. ii 45-6).

The following comment on the present manuscript appears ton f. [i]: No. 3 - This manuscript was wrote in the Tenth Century and consists of prayers to various Irish saints and to the Virgin Mary (three lines have been erased here). About [blank] hundred years old. It is written by the same unidentified hand that wrote a comment of a similar nature on the second fly leaf recto of G 7 (see above). Underneath the comment in this manuscript McQuige writes: When written I cannot tell but it must be very ancient. There are contractions in it I meet in no other Manuscript; and the spelling tho very uniform, yet varies some times, is very simple, differing much from the Standards now. And I think better, because simpler. There is no prayer to the Virgin or any other Saint in it - but one. = It all consists of Fragments of very old History - Some Lives - and a few Essays. James McQuige.

A late hand wrote God made man and man made money good vertically on the outer margin of f. 7r, and another hand wrote <p na fechsain ... me so> on the outer margin of f. 14r.

The handwriting is in double column throughout the manuscript, capitals are rubricated as far as f. 10r. The ruling is in brown, marginal prickings are few. The number of lines to the page varies between 30 and 37. The composition of the gatherings is 1-8, 9-18, the conjugates of ff. 14, 16 are stubs following ff. 10, 11. The gatherings show holes made by previous sewing. The vellum which is uneven in texture - that in the second gathering is stronger than in the first - is also naturally defective and now worn in places (e.g. outermargins of ff. 1, 3, 4 and second column of f. 5). The recto of f. 1 is badly discoloured and for the most part illegible (see G 36, p. 175 for remarks by McQuige on the condition of this page when he was making his transcript) showing that it was an outer unprotected leaf at one time. Ff. 1v, 2r, 9r are also badly stained and there is considerable staining throughout the manuscript.

Although there are indications in the manuscript of its fragmentary nature (for instance the number 45 on the lower margin of the last page, f. 18v of the modern pagination; the last text in the manuscript ends imperfectly) nevertheless it does not appear to the present cataloguer to be the missing part of BM Add. 11809, as stated by Flower in BM iii 37 and Analecta Hibernica iii 226. The dimensions and the lay-out (particularly the opening paragraphs) of the texts of both manuscripts show a marked difference.

The manuscript is bound in silk-covered boards with MS. CLXII, the Adam Clarke shelf number, in gilt on spine. The binder inserted one blank leaf after the front cover and another before the back cover. Phillipps MS. 9754 is written on the inside of the front cover.

Fo.

1r Indarba Mo Chuda a rRaithin. Beg. Mo Chuda mac Finaill do Chiarraighi Luachra a cheiniul. Includes (f. 1vb) poem Teora saobha sanusa, 2 qq. Ends forin eclais fria reimis. 7rl. Corresponds to text ed. Plummer from Brussels 4190-4200, Fer. etc., BNnÉ i 300. F. 1r is badly defaced leaving the first column almost illegible and the second wholly illegible.

3va St. Ambrose. On the religious efficacy of tears. Headed (in later hand) Don Deor Aithrighi. Beg. Briathar and so o Ambroscius .i. ro leigheas ar se dera Peadar = Fer. 115, Add. 11809, f. 38va (written by the scribe of the present manuscript), etc. Ends doni in cedbaiste 7rl. = Fer. 115, Add. 11809, f. 38vb.

3vb Homily on Repentance with quotations from various authors. Headed (in later hand) Don fpeannaid. Beg. Penetencia .i. in peannaid 7 is on péin aderur í­. Ends 7 re floir dimain 7rl.

4ra Homily on Death. Beg. Tuic leat co fuilid drong dona dainibh iarus Dia. Ends a fiadhnuise Dia 7rl.

4rb On the administration of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. Headed (in later hand) Don eg. Beg. Is e int eg crich betha gac[h] aein = Eg. 1781, f. 56, Rawl. B 513, f. 9, Lib. Flav. Ferg., f. 22. Ends tre bithu sir (= Eg., Rawl. and Lib. Flav. Ferg.) 7 gach aon ... atarrac[h] betha 7rl. See Gwynn, Proc. RIA xxvi 24.

5rb Legend of the decapitation of St. Paul and the miraculous recovery of his head. Headed (in later hand) Oidhe fPoil. Beg. Dia mbui Pol apstal a cuibhrech. Ends astu ó sin amach 7rl. See BM ii 556.

5vb Betha Muire Egipta, entitled Betha Muire Egipta ann so. Beg. Muire Éigiptac[h] do bí­ 'na baintreabhthaig ar tús = Lib. Flav. Ferg. f. 43rb. Ends ina tidhluicibh 7 ina anoir. Finit = Lib. Flav. Ferg., f. 43vb. See Plummer, Misc. Hag. Hib. 267; BM ii 498. Another life in BM Add. 30512, f. 75 and written by this scribe appears to have been translated by him also (Quin: Stair Ercuil, ITS xxxviii, p. xxxix).

7ra Anecdote of St. Brendan. Beg. An egail lat écc ol a dhalta fri Brénuinn. Ends ol Brénainn fria dalta 7rl.

7rb An Tenga Bithnua, entitled Don Tengaid Bithnua ann so. Beg. Dia nbadar egnaidhi na nEabhraidhi ar mullach Sleibhe Oilifeit = Eg. 136, f. 53, 24P25, f. 65rb. Ends tosac[h] creidim 7 maithiusa dhoibh 7rl. = Eg. 136, f.56.

An adaption of part of the second recension (Rennes version) of the text. See BM ii 556-558 for a discussion of the text, recensions and printed editions.

8rb Three reasons why one should despise the world. Beg. Tri hadhbair fara coir dimbrig sa saogal = 24P25, f. 64ra. Ends congbail aguinn. Finit. Cf. Lib. Flav. Ferg. ii, f. 33b.

8va Story of Solomon and the power of women. Beg. Bui ri amhra airedha do Grecaibh Salemon a ainm. Ends Conid hi cumhachtai na mban is tresiu sa saogal uile 7rl.

8vb Aphorism. Beg. A croidhi in duine egnaidhi bis a bel. Ends coimedaig a croidhi 7rl.

9ra Passion of St. George. Beg. Feacht n-aon dar ghabh Dacsianus impiri flaithius = Lib. Flav. Ferg. ii, f. 44ra. Breaks off with f. 18v tabair grasa dom anumsa fein ar sin <...> = Lib. Flav. Ferg. ii, f. 47vb 29. Recension C of the text. See Plummber, Misc. Hag. Hib. 259 for list of recensions and printed editions.